RUSK COUNTY, Texas — A protest was held on Friday for Timothy Michael Randall, the East Texas man who was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Rusk County.
“I want to let y’all know that this young man’s life mattered, this cop became judge juror and executioner in less than 5 minutes,” organizer Delia Gray said.
One of the reasons for this protest is to raise awareness in hopes to avoid a similar situation in the future.
“So, it doesn’t happen again, so it doesn’t happen to your child, so it doesn’t happen to your neighbors child, so it doesn’t happen to your nephew,” Gray said.
Randall’s mother Wendy Tippitt says to see the community show up for her son is a blessing.
“It’s God sent,” Tippitt said. “Just coming together, in the pursuit to get justice for Michael because what happened to my son should've never happened and everybody needs to realize it could happen to your child, it could happen to them."
Wendy says this situation made her aware of how many police shootings there are every year after her son was shot.
“My sons last words to me was I love you. The last words I heard him say was please officer,” Tippitt said. “It’s a sad, sad astronomical number and it's careless, it should've never happened,"
She’s glad the community came with one thing in mind, to fight for justice.
“And I know my son is here with us, I can feel him, but to be here by the sheriff’s office department,” Tippitt said.
“This is not just for us, this is for the whole city of Henderson, the whole city of Kilgore, the whole county of Rusk, the whole county of Smith, this is for everybody,” Delia Gray said.